A home ground advantage proved to be the defining factor of the Varsity Cup semi-finals, as FNB Maties lost their away clash against the FNB North West University (NWU) Eagles. This is according to Siya Matanda, flanker for Maties.
The Eagles secured their place in the Varsity Cup Final, with a 19-10 victory against Maties on 10 April at the Fanie du Toit Stadium in Potchefstroom, according to the Varsity Cup website.
Away disadvantage
“It was a tremendous miss not being able to play in front of our home crowd, especially as [NWU] had [the] home advantage,” stated Matanda.
“It affects players when you do something good, and nobody cheers for you,” said Siya Matanda, flanker for FNB Maties. Maties missed their home ground, the Danie Craven Stadium, in their semi-final defeat against North West University Eagles, stated Matanda. PHOTO: Daniel Roodt
“The thing that makes NWU’s stadium so unique, is that the fans are extremely close to the pitch and are almost part of the action,” stated Jaco-Louis Groenewald, marketing and public relations representative for Varsity Sports, organisers of the Varsity Cup.
The home crowd support played a big role in motivating the players, said Mervyn Taylor, manager of rugby at NWU. “The crowd is like the 24th player,” stated Taylor.
“Out of all the stadiums we have played away at, NWU’s is the most challenging,” said Matanda. “[The NWU] crowd is the loudest I’ve played away at.”
“Varsity Cup really brings universities together as one, where they can celebrate being a Matie, or being an Ikey,” said Jaco-Louis Groenwald, marketing and public relations representative for Varsity Sports. PHOTO: Daniel Roodt
Crucial mistakes
It was errors at crucial moments in the game that ultimately cost Maties a spot in the final, according to Matanda.
The semi-final was “a game of close measures and tight moments, [ultimately] decided on small mistakes”, stated Matanda.
The way forward
“Our true character is shown in the rebuilding and fight to come back stronger next season,” stated Kimara Singh, media and communications manager for Maties Sport.
“We have shown a lot of fight. We always seem to show this character and fight when we get put into a corner,” said Matanda. This mentality is something Maties hopes to carry forward into the future, as they look to bounce back from this setback, added Matanda.
“The boys really showed a lot of fight and care for the jersey,” stated Siya Matanda, flanker for FNB Maties, when summarising the team’s Varsity Cup season. PHOTO: Daniel Roodt